Mark Morgan Ford is a lifelong practitioner of writing, teaching, entrepreneurship, martial arts and philanthropy.
He has been writing and publishing since 1962 when, at age 12, he sold an underground booklet titled Excuses for the Amateur to his fifth-grade peers. Since then, he has written more than two dozen books on business, entrepreneurship and wealth building (several of which were New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestsellers), as well as half a dozen books on rhetoric and three books of poetry. He has also written and produced four feature-length movies.
From 2000 to 2010, he posted more than 3,000 essays on his Early to Rise blog, which, at one time, had a circulation of nearly a million readers. From 2010 to 2015, he retired from all but one of his business concerns and created an educational curriculum on wealth building. He donated the curriculum – which consisted of thousands of pages of advice and instruction – to the Wealth Science Institute, a non-profit organization whose goal is to encourage industry, entrepreneurship and prudent financial management for the “not yet wealthy.”
As an entrepreneur, he has been involved in dozens of multimillion-dollar businesses, including one whose revenues exceeded $100 million and another that broke the billion-dollar mark. His current business interests include the Agora companies (a large international publishing group), Ford Fine Art (a broker of Latin American and contemporary fine art in Miami, Nicaragua and Delray Beach), AWAI (a company that teaches writing and graphic arts), Lion’s Kill (a movie production business) and Palimi (a business consulting company).
As a real estate investor, he has been involved in more than a hundred projects and developments, from single-family homes to apartment buildings, office buildings and resort communities. Travel & Leisure magazine recently voted the hotel facility in one of these resort communities – Rancho Santana on the Pacific coast of Nicaragua – “one of the 100 best in the world.”
A student of martial arts since 1998, Ford has won three Naga championships. He received his black belt from Marcel Ferreira in 2015.
His charitable activities include FunLimon, a community development facility across the street from Rancho Santana that provides a range of services, including an athletic program, a microlending program, a trade school and a literacy school.
He has attempted to retire four times in his career, never successfully. His current goal is to give away 90% of his wealth in the next decade.
Articles by Mark
Do You Have the Mindset of a Champion? October 9, 2019- In order to achieve a rich life, it may seem like you need to have natural talent and the mindset of a champion. But there is another door you can use to find success.
Make 3 People Smile Today October 2, 2019- Charisma is an important skill for achieving success and a rich life. It doesn’t come naturally to everyone, but luckily there’s a simple way to be charming.
The Little Things That Make Life Meaningful September 11, 2019- To appreciate the biggest things in life, like our health and wealth, it is sometimes important to first focus on the little things that make us happy.
How to Be an Information User, Not an Information Junkie September 4, 2019- Information junkies get a rush from buying into the newest books and training courses. But how they actually use the information is the key to a rich life.
How Successful People Use Their Spare Time August 21, 2019- An hour of time may not seem like much in the short term, but how you spend your spare time over the years really adds up on the journey to a rich life. 
So You’re Old… That Doesn’t Mean You’re Done July 31, 2019- Hitting 60 can be a tough milestone, especially if you’re not happy with your finances. Mark Ford explains what to do to get healthy and create wealth. 
Retirement: Don’t Make This Common but Very Costly Mistake July 17, 2019- Retirement planning can be complicated, and many retirees make one common mistake. Mark Ford explains how to avoid it and plan for a happy retirement. 
A Three-Step Strategy for Dealing With the Fear of Failure July 3, 2019- Potential entrepreneurs hesitate because they are afraid to fail. Mark Ford explains how to overcome that fear and take steps toward wealth accumulation. 
Here’s Why I’ll Never Use a Discount Broker June 26, 2019- A discount broker may seem like the best (cheapest) way to go, but Mark Ford explains why he trusts his full-service broker as a wealth advisor.
Becoming Rich as Fast as You Can, Part 2 June 12, 2019- If you want to get rich, you need to understand the importance of moneymaking ideas and how they can help you along the journey to getting rich.